Selected Works of Saint Ephrem the Syrian, Rabbula of Edessa, Balai, and Others

XV.

A codex in octavo format, written in a clear and neat hand, of the sixth or seventh century, containing, besides fragments of the lives of St. Thecla, Sergius, and George, the life of Rabula. You can see from p. 159, line 6, where Rabula is called shubha de-mditnan the glory of our city, that the author of the life of Rabula was an Edessene man. From fol. 123 to fol. 129, the Constitutions and Precepts for Priests and Religious are read, the title of which, aside from the author's name, had clearly vanished, so I supplied the missing words from the final note. From fol. 129 to fol. 131 verso, the Precepts for Monks are found, part of which are the Canons that you will find separately in codex No. 14526, fol. 30 verso. Finally, from fol. 131 verso to fol. 136 verso is the Homily (memra discourse/homily) delivered publicly by Rabula in the church of Constantinople. The final pages of the codex and of this homily are missing.

XVI.

A codex in octavo format, written in a very neat Edessene hand, of the sixth or seventh century, consisting of the Body of the Canons of the Apostles (which are also present in codex No. 14531), of Rabula (fol. 30 verso), of John, Bishop of Tella, and of the Councils from the Nicene up to the Chalcedonian. Likewise, it contains various formulas of profession of faith, and a brief description of the councils. Cf. B. Harris Cowper, ‘Analecta Nicaena’ p. iv.

XVII.

A codex in smaller quarto format, of the eighth or ninth century, containing, besides excerpts from the fathers and the history of the Egyptian monks, Rabula’s Precepts for Monks.